Toast to Love: Exploring Casablanca Valley’s Enchanting Wineries

Chris and I recently spent a romantic week in Chile without our kids. Being wine lovers who have had great experiences with Chilean wine, we knew we had to explore a few wineries. Chile is home to six wine regions and as much as we would have loved to explore them all, we only had one day to spare on this visit because there were many other things to do in Chile. With Casablanca Valley in Chile being well situated between Santiago and Valparaiso, we decided to spend a night in Casablanca and explore as many wineries as we could – we even found a beautiful cabin in the hills of wine country! 

 

A Wine Filled Day in Casablanca, Chile

Chile winery trip

Our  Casablanca winery visits took place in early December and the weather was perfect for a mini road trip as we left Valparaiso. We had a flight to catch out of Santiago two days later so a night in Casablanca Valley was an ideal way to cap off our parents’ escape in Chile. We visited Kingston Family Vineyards and Vinamar for a tasting and did a full tour and lunch at Casas del Bosque – each experience was unique and well worth a return visit. 

 

Here’s our week long Chile itinerary!

 

A Perfect Pairing: Picturesque Views and Romantic Wine Moments at Kingston Family Vineyards 

Man looking out over Chilean winery

 

On our drive in we stopped at Kingston Family Vineyards and were surprisingly greeted by gorgeous views from their tasting room. This family owned Chilean winery blends the best of Old and New World winemaking techniques and we discovered some lovely Pinot Noirs, one of which we even brought home. 

As with all wineries we visited, there was a long driveway to go through and the driver’s ID was verified before we got to the actual winery. At this one we were warmly welcomed with a complimentary glass of Rose but I soon learned that this may have been accidental because they assumed we were part of a wedding group! Well love certainly was in the air on our romantic trip and we savoured that free glass of vino! 

Kingston Family Vineyard Winery welcome

Entering their  tasting room felt like walking into a cool wooden loft at someone’s home. There were leather sofas in one corner, a bar area in an another and the floor to ceiling glass doors lead to a patio overlooking the vineyards. We decided to order a samplings of their Pinot Noirs and sipped it overlooking the Casablanca Valley hills. They also served complimentary icy cold water which was a surprising touch after paying for water all over Chile. 

Kingston Family Vineyards are known for producing high-quality, cool-climate wines and for focusing on sustainable wine practices. This secluded Casablanca winery perched on top of the hills was the perfect spot for our first Chilean winery experience. They offer a variety of tasting and pairing options had we decided to linger here longer but we wanted to visit at least one other winery before closing hour so off we went! 

 

Bubbles and Bliss: Vinamar’s Sparkling Wines and Stunning Vineyards 

Vina Mar Chilean Winery visit

Many Casablanca wineries closed by 5 p.m. so on our evening drive, we noticed that Vinamar was open until 5:30. Sadly the main tasting bar was closed when we arrived at 5:10 p.m. but we were handed a complimentary glass of bubbly and told that we can roam around the property or make our way to the shop below. These free glasses of wine were a nice welcome but this has never happened to us during previous wine region explorations! 

With their Traditional Method in hand we roamed around the wine shop making a few purchases. We actually bought a bottle to open that evening once we had checked into our cabin in the Chilean wine valley, but at check out we were told to age it! So you’ll see what I ended up drinking that night. LOL!

Vinamar offers a variety of tours and wine tasting experiences here and I had totally hoped to dine at their bistro but since this was a kid-free go with the flow kind of trip, these hopes were just that. I made no reservations and did not have much luck here. Their picnic baskets and wine tours would be perfect for sparkling wine lovers because that’s what Vinamar is best known for. 

 

Sip, Savor, and Stroll: The Ultimate Day at Casas del Bosque Winery

Chilean winery roadtrip

If you’re visiting wineries in Casablanca Valley, I highly recommend that you make a reservation for a full tour at a winery to get a full experience on your romantic Chilean getaway. I have done many wine tours and usually attempt to do one in each wine region I visit and I can tell you that the one at Casas del Bosque was absolutely fantastic. During our visit we discovered the magic of Casas del Bosque with a perfect day of vineyard strolls, wine sips and gourmet dining. Going with the flow on this trip enabled us to abandon our plans to visit a couple more wineries and instead, spend our entire day here prior to driving back to Santiago. Not to worry, Chris was our designated driver and made good use of the spittoon –  next time we’ll probably hire a local driver because that’s what some folks we met had done. 

Casas del bosque winery

Casas del Bosque has an expansive property and you can enjoy the vineyard through various experiences. We were  hosted here during our visit and got a full tour of the various spaces so I can tell you that you won’t regret a visit here-especially if you roam around beyond the main section. Founded in 1993 by an Italian family, this single vineyard winery has 189 hectares dedicated exclusively to the production of cool climate varieties.  They produce 1.3 million bottles of wine annually and some of their wines can be found at the LCBO in Canada. Our La Trampa premium wine tour guide Christopher was one of the most knowledgeable wine guides I have met over my decade working in the wine industry and he made it so easy for all to understand the unique production methods employed at this Chilean winery. 

 

Chris and I had planned to spend a few hours at this winery but we spent our entire day here because (despite waking up to moody skies) the sun was out and we were having great conversations with the staff and another Canadian couple we met during the wine tour. This is how we ended up having a leisurely 2.5 hour lunch at the Tanino winery restaurant after our 2 hour wine tour. The meal we enjoyed here was spectacular – the seafood was fresh, the octopus cooked to perfection (with charred bits and melt in your mouth flesh) and every dish hit the spot. The fact that they’ve been recognized as one of the 20 best vineyard restaurants in the world by the Canadian magazine Wine Access, is no surprise! 

 

Do yourself a favour and make a reservation here on your Chilean wine tour road trip! I promise you won’t regret it. 
 

 

Under the Stars: A Magical Cabin Experience in Casablanca Valley

Yashy and Chris in romantic cabin in Chilean wine country

If you’re looking to escape to tranquility, then look no further than this cabin snuggled within Casablanca Valley. When I booked Tiny Houses Casablanca because Chris and I haven’t really done a cabin in  the woods before and I thought it would be a romantic option on this trip. This was a beautiful spot in the middle of vineyards and mountains and we truly were in the middle of nowhere with only horses nearby. 

The cabin was well decorated and had a kitchenette but most importantly, it had a comfortable bed and air conditioning!! Many of the cabins and even our lodging in Atacama didn’t have A.C so I was delighted about that. Yes there were bugs but the pretty views could be enjoyed from indoors as well so I didn’t mind the late night bugs. 

Being in the middle of nowhere meant that the closest restaurant was a fair drive away and because I wanted Chris to relax instead of driving again, we swung by the corner stall and picked up a few basic groceries. Eggs and avocado for dinner and breakfast wasn’t too shabby I reckon. Remember how we were advised to cellar the bottle of wine we bought for dinner? Well, the corner stall also had boxed wine and apparently that’s what the locals enjoy so we did right by the local way. 

The owner of this property is absolutely lovely and has done everything herself. She’s a yoga instructor who is planning to offer some local hiking and horse ridding tours in the near future. So, if you decide to book a stay here, be sure to ask her about those! 

 

 

Tips for Visiting Chilean Wineries

Casablanca Wine trip

As you plan your Chilean wine explorations, I hope the following Chile winery tips offer some guidance! 

  • Carry your ID with you if you’re driving as you will need it to enter the winery (I am sure you’ll have your driver’s licence but just an extra reminder)
  • Double check the winery’s operating hours
  • Pre-book wine tours
  • Be flexible because you may unexpectedly want to spend extra time at a couple of the wineries
  • If you’re buying wine to bring back, travel with some bubble wrap and ensure that the ones you purchase aren’t available at your local retailer
  • Bring layers – it was summer time but the breeze can get you! 
  • We were on a kid free trip but we spotted a few families with strollers at Casas del Bosque and the toddler attended the wine tour and tasting too. Overall Chile was quite family friendly from my observations

How to spend a day in Casablanca Valley, Chile

 

 

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